Support stands are typically used to position a two wheeled vehicle in stationary position when not being driven by a rider. These stands have to be pushed open or extended from a closed inactive position to an open active position adapted to support the weight of the vehicle in a parked state. There are two types of stands commonly used to park a two wheeler. One of these stands is a side stand and the other is a centre stand. Both are provided between the wheel centers. To park a two wheeler using a stand, the support unit of the stand has to be swiveled to an open position and the vehicle pulled backwards or tilted to one side to achieve a parked stationary position.
The centre stand of a two wheeler keeps the vehicles while parked, in plane normal to the ground level as compared to a slightly tilted position achieved while using a side stand. Both these stands are provided with stoppers to limit the movement of the stand with reference to the vehicle frame. A typical side stand for a two wheeler consists of bracket fastened to the frame of the vehicle, between the front wheel and rear wheels. The bracket is provided with a pivoted joint consisting of a swiveling support leg assembly. A spring is used to keep the leg assembly in a substantially horizontal position raised and away from the ground level, to prevent the stand from accidentally opening whilst the vehicle is in motion. Starting and riding a two wheeler with the side stand in a deployed state can lead to accidents and injuries to the rider and also to the bystanders.
Various attempts have been made to alert the rider about the deployed state of the side stand support either by preventing engine start or alarms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,538 discloses a “Safety device for a motorcycle”. This device actuates the horn of a motorcycle if the side stand is down, the ignition is on, and the motorcycle is in the driving position using a mercury contact switch which is activated by the tilted position of the motor cycle when parked using a side stand and another switch mechanically connected to the stand. The horn is activated when the driver turns the ignition and brings the motor cycle to a substantially vertical position without putting up the side stand. The use of contact type switches and mercury filled position switch, acting in unison, to activate a sound alarm, is subject to wear and tear due to physical contact, electrical arcing, leakage of mercury and abrasion due to inclusion of dust particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,025 discloses a “Motorcycle stand control mechanism”. This is a motorcycle stand control device having a rotor adapted to rotate when the wheels of the motorcycle is rotating. The rotor is provided with a set of magnets alternatively arranged around the periphery of the rotor and a circuit board having sensor adapted to act with the magnets and to output a corresponding control signal to turn the motorcycle stand of the motorcycle subject to the status of the rotary driven member. This device consists of many mechanical components like rotating wire positioned in a flexible cable to transmit the drive, direct current motor and gear drive to retract the side stand leg support. All these components are subject to high degree of mechanical wear and tear and the components that are exposed to the road surface and are likely to be damaged in inclement weather conditions and also not suitable for rough and rocky terrains.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,607 discloses a “Side stand device”. This device consists of a rotary switch which attempts to prevent transmission of vibrations from a body frame to a rotary switch to reliably maintaining the function and performance of the rotary switch. The rotary switch is provided in coaxial relationship with the side stand through a pivot bolt and a securing bolt. A sheet is interposed between the rotary switch and the pivot bolt, and a tube and a sheet are interposed between the rotary switch and the securing bolt. The sheets and the tube are formed from rubber members. A cushion member is interposed between an engaging member of an inner rotor in the rotary switch and a locking hole of the side stand. The cushion member is formed from a rubber member. The cushioning members and the contacts of the rotary switch are subject to wear and tear and are likely to be damaged in regular use and have to be replaced during periodic maintenance.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,885 discloses an “Intelligent interlock for a motorcycle stand”. This device consists of a side stand movable between an extended position in which the stand supports the motorcycle and a retracted position. The motorcycle includes a sensor to generate a signal to indicate the extended or retracted position of the side stand; a gear position sensor to generate signal about the neutral state or the non-neutral state of the transmission gears; a vehicle speed sensor to detect the speed of the motorcycle and a controller programmed for monitoring of the stand signal and for preventing operation of the engine when one of the gear position sensor and the vehicle speed sensor fails to communicate successfully with the controller, preventing operation of the engine being dependent upon the stand signal and an output of the other of the gear position sensor and the vehicle speed sensor. The stand position sensor is a Hall-effect sensor mounted externally and operates to sense the presence of the side stand in the retracted position by sensing a magnet or ferrous material of the side stand. The use of three different sensors and external mounting of the stand position sensor are likely to be damaged in inclement weather conditions, presence of magnets or ferrous particles and are also not suitable for rough and rocky terrains.
Thus, there is a need for a device that warns the rider about the deployed condition of the side stand before he starts to ride the vehicle and which overcomes the problems hitherto encountered in a two wheeler having a side stand arrangement.